Grace is Gone
by little-borgia
Summary: Rigsby can no longer separate his personal and private life when Grace Van Pelt goes missing.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE - BEARER OF BAD NEWS

Most people remember exactly what they were doing when they first learned that planes had flown through the twin towers. Older people have the same reaction to the discovery of Pearl Harbor. Wayne Rigsby would always remember what he was doing when he learned Grace Van Pelt had gone missing.

It was a Tuesday night, which meant he was at his Mother's home, eating dinner. It was their Tuesday night tradition, although he was too embarrassed to tell most people. The dinners was his mother's idea. After all, she worried about her baby boy doing such a dangerous job.

Rigsby was scooping a hefty portion of homemade mashed potatoes when his phone rang.

"Wayne! No cell phones at the table. You know the rules!" his mother lectured.

"It's my work phone, Ma." He said as he reached in his pocket, grabbing the phone. He balanced the phone between his cheek and his shoulder as he reached for the gravy boat.

"Agent Rigsby..."

His mother watched helplessly as her sons heart dropped and the gravy train fell to the floor, shattering into a million pieces.


	2. Chapter 2 Blurring the Edges

CHAPTER TWO - BLURRING THE EDGES

The investigation was all a blur for Rigsby. While Lisbon briefed him on the case, it took all he had to hold in the tears as he stared at the empty desk.

"Were you and Van Pelt an item?"

"What?"

"I'm not stupid, Rigsby. You loved her--"

"Love. She's not dead." He said in a tone that was colder than he had intended, but equally justifiable.

Lucky for him, Lisbon's phone went off, and she excused herself.

"'Fess up, man." Cho advised.

Jane, who had been laying on the couch, laughed at his co-workers advice. "Deny it. There's going to be consequences for telling her. Grace will be dealing with enough when we find her, she doesn't need to deal with getting fired, too."

Rigsby took a big gulp, feeling like the angel and the devil had taken their spots on each of his shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3 The Usual Suspects

CHAPTER THREE - THE USUAL SUSPECTS

A look into Grace's life revealed the typical information. Her credit score was nearly perfect. She was attempting to follow Julia Child's recipes. She had worked her way through college, even though she had earned both academic and athletic scholarships.

Family and friends hadn't seen her in a while. She hadn't returned to Iowa since last Christmas. Arnold Van Pelt told the team that he spoke to his daughter a few days before she disappeared. During that call, she confided that she had a boyfriend.

"I asked if it was the real deal. She giggled and said 'daddy!' in that tone that let me know she was in love."

"Lucky guy," Jane muttered. He didn't even bother looking in Rigsby's direction. They both knew.

Two days later, Minelli pulled Rigsby aside, promising that if he admitted to the relationship, neither agents would have any punishment.

Rigsby agreed.


	4. Chapter 4 Jane Doe

CHAPTER FOUR - JANE DOE

By now, it had been a week since anyone had seen Grace Van Pelt. No one in the C.B.I. wanted to admit it, but the odds were getting smaller and smaller.

Rigsby was about to leave for lunch when the phone rang. A nurse at the local hospital had remembered being instructed to call the C.B.I. on any women being admitted to the hospital matching Grace's description.

Rigsby couldn't tell you a single song that played on the radio as he rushed to the hospital. Looking back, he couldn't remember driving there or checking in with the nurse's station. All he would remember is seeing her.

Unconscious, it only took a quick glance for him to know it was the woman he loved. Her porcelain skin was scratched and bruised. She seemed so small and helpless, laying in that bed. He bent down next to the bed, stroking her red hair, which was now scattered with pieces of branches and plants.

"Agent Rigsby?" the Doctor had walked into the hospital room so quietly that Rigsby hadn't even heard him.

The Doctor felt like he was pulling a band-aid off as he went down the list of Grace's conditions and complications. According to the local sheriff, she was found in the woods, wondering aimlessly. She was severely shaken up. He clothes were tattered, making her shake fiercely. She hadn't had food or water in a few days. Had the sheriff not arrived, she probably wouldn't have made it another day. She was beaten and scratched. Underneath her nails was multiple layers of dirt and skin, indicating that she had fought and clawed her way to freedom.

"She's okay, right Doc?" Rigsby asked in a quiet voice.

"She'll be fine. Once she gets some rest, she should be able to tell us everything. I'll prescribe her some medication to help with nightmares and panic attacks that are common with abduction cases. She just needs someone to take good care of her and keep her safe."

"She's got that under control." Rigsby said, finally feeling better about the whole situation.


	5. Chapter 5 Memory Lane

CHAPTER FIVE - MEMORY LANE

Within three days, Grace Van Pelt was released from the hospital. Against everyone's orders, she was back to work the very next day. Although she had been released from the hospital, her memory was still foggy.

Jane had the perfect answer to her problems. Sitting her down, he eased her into a relaxed, hypnotic state. It was only then that she could recall the events that took place without her anxieties blocking her from remembering such traumatic events.

"I was at the grocery store. I had just finished and was going to check out. I heard something fall, and the man behind me told me that my badge had fallen."

"You're doing great, Grace. What happened next?"

"I left. I was in the parking lot, putting the groceries away, when he came up to me again. I had an eerie feeling about it, but was trying to be polite. He asked what I did for a living, and I told him I worked at the California Bureau of Investigation. He said the C.B.I. had questioned him in regards to a neighborhood shooting. I shut my trunk, and turned to get in the car."

Grace's voice began to crack, and her body trembled softly.

"Jane, be careful..." Lisbon whispered.

"I've got it. Promise." Jane said. It was far too serious for him to crack a joke.

"He told me that he swore he was going to get back at those pigs at the C.B.I. I asked him to leave, and he grabbed my wrist. He was pulling it so hard, I thought it was going to break. I socked him in the face as hard as I could, but he hit me so hard. I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew I was in a treehouse in the woods."

"A treehouse?" Rigsby asked.

"It was up in the trees. I think it was supposed to be for hunting. He had me tied up. He kept telling me how pretty I was, and how sorry he was going to be for hurting me. He told me that he needed to go do some things, and that when he returned, the real fun would start."

"Grace, I need you to focus. What did the man look like? Did he give a name?"

"Not so many questions, Jane." Lisbon lectured.

"He was older. 5'6 about 200 pounds. His name was Al. He had scruffy grey hair and a beard."

Cho immediately jotted the description and left to take care of it.

"He never came back. It took a long time for me to get myself untied. When I did, I was in such a hurry that I slipped down the ladder. When I held my hand up to my head, it was bleeding. I walked around and around and around. It was forest everywhere. I thought I was going to die in the forest. I thought --- " Grace began crying so hard she was hyperventilating.

"Jane! Bring her back!" Lisbon snapped.

"Stop it, Jane!" Rigsby said simultaneously.

"Grace, what did you think?" Jane said, ignoring his peers.

"I thought it was Red John." Grace managed between sobs.

Jane looked around, hoping the others realized how lucky their junior agent was.


	6. Chapter 6 Moving On

CHAPTER SIX - MOVING ON

"Wayne, you know I'll be okay, right?"

"Not a chance, Grace. I'm never letting you out of my sight again." He kissed her forehead, which she loved almost as when he kissed her lips.

"I just don't know why we're paying for two separate apartments. You're over here every night."

"Don't you want me here?" He asked. He seemed hurt by her comment.

"Of course I do. I just .... we should use that extra money for things we might need..."

"Like?"

"I don't know. There's lots of things to save money for. Retirement, marriage, children, a beach house ... "

Rigsby was beaming. Grace had always been the commitment freak. He was ready to spend the rest of his life with her, all he had to do was wait for her to feel the same.

"I just think it's something we should consider. But only if you want to. I mean, I'd be okay by myself. I think I can handle it."

"I couldn't handle it." Rigsby confessed.

This time, it was Grace who kissed his forehead. She nuzzled close to her teddy bear of a boyfriend, and almost immediately, she was asleep. Neither of them would ever know if they could handle a night alone.


End file.
